


The Serpent and the Angel

by GemNika



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Tribal, Blood and Torture, CoLu Week 2018, Courting Rituals, F/M, Language Barrier, Public Nudity, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-19
Updated: 2018-06-19
Packaged: 2019-05-18 21:07:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14860317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GemNika/pseuds/GemNika
Summary: Their marriage was one of necessity, to ally their clans for the war to come. The only problem was that Cobra and his people terrified her with their wild ways and brutal traditions. It didn't help that they didn't even speak the same language.CoLu Week 2018, Day 4: Pyramid





	The Serpent and the Angel

**Author's Note:**

> Please know, I'm not using any real tribes as a reference here, so it's all just fiction. And any similarities with foreign languages are mostly coincidental. I used a mish-mash of bullshit, Old English conjugation rules, and Latin pronunciations for things. Mostly bullshit. So, as far as I know, all the foreign language bits in here are entirely made up.

 

The bonfire burned bright against the night sky, and Lucy remained utterly still. Even through the deafening drums and ox horns being played, helping the two tribes find their rhythm to dance around, she could still hear her heart pounding. She couldn't take her eyes off of him. His narrowed indigo eyes, calculating and cold with everything they gazed upon, and his deeply tanned skin. His hair, the color of drying blood. The warrior's markings painted on his cheeks and bare chest in the same red. The way he sneered when he spoke that guttural, growling language of his people. He looked angry, no matter who he was talking to.

He terrified her.

Cobra was seven summers her senior. Even his name - loosely translated for her by his father in the common tongue to  _vicious serpent_  - made her uneasy.

And she was supposed to marry him.

She didn't know him, and she'd never interacted with his people before. But he was the same age as her eldest brother, Laxus. Cobra was the next in line to lead his father's tribe, and she could tell by the scars he had that he'd won the right to make his claim in the only way the Dragos recognized. In blood and in battle.

"You shouldn't stare so hard. I hear he can read minds."

Lucy jumped at the teasing tone of Sting's voice in her ear, and she turned toward him with a scowl. "Shut up, big brother," she muttered. "He scares me."

Sting, always the one with a quick joke to make her smile, wrapped his arm around her shoulders and drew her into a half-hug. "There's nothing to be scared of," he chuckled. "Laxus set this up to benefit both our tribes."

She sighed and looked from his smiling face to the two tribes gathered around the bonfire. For the first time in nearly a century, they were coming together and forming an alliance. And it had everything to do with her father dying and Laxus taking over. Ivan had been a strong warrior, but he'd broken one too many oaths. And while her other three brothers were strong, no one could compare to Laxus. She found Freed and Rufus, her twin brothers who were only two summers older than her, flanking Laxus as they always did. With Freed's keen intellect and Rufus' ability to remember everything he came across, they were the best suited to advise their eldest brother as he led their tribe. And Sting… Well, he got to joke around as much as he wanted as the second-born son. Everyone knew he wouldn't lead the tribe unless Laxus was killed in battle.

And as long as this alliance with the Dragos went according to plan, that wouldn't happen for a long time.

As long as she married Cobra, left her tribe behind and gave him a son to carry on his family line, then the conflicts with the nomadic Sprigga tribe from the south would end in victory. Because what her people lacked in the number of able-bodied men who could fight, the Dragos had aplenty.

She was just glad that their grandfather, Makarov, was still alive to be an added voice of reason when she was gone.

Her eyes widened when she saw two Dragos men start fighting. It didn't seem like they were pulling any punches and joking around. One with pink hair and the other with long black hair, and both only wearing furs wrapped around their hips.

"That's Natsu and Gajeel," Sting said, reminding her of his presence beside her. "They're Cobra's younger brothers."

They were savages.

"I think Natsu's about your age, though," he said. Sting grinned when another man with white hair and the telltale dark skin of the Dragos jumped into the fray. He gave her a gentle squeeze. "If they're gonna be part of the family, maybe I should jump in on the action."

"You'll get hurt," she said softly, but he wasn't listening. All Lucy could do was watch as Sting rushed off and got right into the middle of the fight. She wondered if he'd be alright, if it would be seen as disrespectful for him to join them. It was made even worse when Gajeel's fist connected with the side of his head and sent him tumbling to the ground.

"Your brother tells me you speak the common tongue," came another voice from just behind her.

Lucy tore her gaze away from the brawl, and turned to find Cobra's father nearly glaring down at her with his aquamarine eyes framed by blue-painted markings. "Yes," she said. "Our grandfather made sure I learned it."

Acnologia nodded, directing his attention back toward the festive tribesmen. "My son does not," he said. "You will need to learn Draga to speak with him."

She had the errant thought that maybe Cobra should just learn the common tongue instead. But it would be for the best if she learned their language anyway. If she was to have children for their tribe, raise them in their tribe, then she couldn't live the rest of her life not knowing how to talk to her husband.

"I… know a little," she said. There were some similarities between her people's language and theirs, but not many.

"Laxus tells me you are stubborn as well," he said.

Lucy fought not to wince. That had gotten her into trouble more than she wanted to admit. It was only through the constant intervention of her brothers that she hadn't been punished more severely by their father when he'd been alive. "Only when it's important," she said carefully.

"Good." She blinked in surprise and looked up at him. He smiled down at her, but it wasn't a kind sort of smile. There was no tenderness in the way his lips pulled back to bare his sharpened teeth. Ah, she'd forgotten the stories she'd been told about the Dragon King Acnologia - how he'd sharpened his teeth to points to tear his enemies apart in battle. "My son is stubborn as well. He will never respect a woman who does not stand up for herself."

She nodded in silence while fear coiled around her heart. The longer she looked at his teeth, the more she was afraid of what he might do to her. Surely, Laxus wouldn't send her off to be killed. That was something their father would have done. But Acnologia's mere presence set her muscles in a tightening vice. Thankfully, he didn't touch her when he departed for the other side of the bonfire where Laxus and Cobra were standing. Her tribe was very affectionate, but for the first time, she didn't want a hand on her shoulder. She didn't want to leave with these monsters.

Part of her wondered if the stories were true about them having some sort of magical powers that allowed them to breathe fire. It was just a small part, though, and easily squashed when she took a steadying breath and forced her feet to move around the edge of the bonfire. Closer to Laxus and her twin brothers. But also closer to Cobra who, when she was halfway there, she found also had his teeth sharpened to points that could tear a person's flesh off with a single bite.

How could she be expected to lie with someone like him? She kissed her brothers on a daily basis, as was their tribe's customary greeting. But did that mean she was expected to put her mouth near Cobra's? To kiss  _him_? Still, her feet moved. And she felt all eyes turn to her, scrutinizing the gently dyed purple cloth of her dress, her pale skin and sunlight-colored hair. Lucy was stubborn, as Acnologia had said, but she also knew that this alliance would keep her people alive.

"Ah, my dearest sister," Laxus said with a grin. He pulled her close and her eyes closed with the familiarity of his arms around her, his lips brushing the corner of hers. She turned when directed and faced Cobra.

He was so much taller up close. Still shorter than Laxus by at least a head and he had a more lithe frame, but taller than her. She hated the way he looked down his nose at her.

" _Foor'na gothem mihlara_ ," Cobra said.

She hadn't a clue what he was saying, but Acnologia stepped forward and stared down at her as well. And then he smirked. " _Draga'h. Hihlarun gebyrna thala, Cobra_."

It took everything in her to not flinch away from Acnologia's hand as it came up to cup her chin. He turned her head one way and another, but her eyes never left Cobra's face. And he stared right back at her.

"Is she not to his liking?" Laxus asked.

Acnologia chuckled and his touch drifted down to the shoulder strap of her dress. She didn't move to stop him, and controlled her breath so he wouldn't know how terrified - no, how disgusted she was by feeling the calluses on his fingers against her flesh. "He says she's too small. He may break her."

She wanted to vomit.

" _Gefreldah foor'nethga dolvar_ ," Cobra said. She couldn't stop herself from trembling when his lips lifted in a smirk that gave her a better view of his teeth. If those came anywhere near her, he'd rip her apart.

Acnologia turned his attention to Laxus. "There is something we must do," he said. "Though I am sure your sister would rather it not happen where others will see."

"What is it?" Lucy asked, cutting her brother off. She broke away from Cobra's intense stare to look at Acnologia. She could see the way he considered her for a moment. Maybe she wasn't supposed to get in the middle of this. Maybe it was supposed to be handled between the two leaders of their tribes. But Lucy was just as much a part of this, and she wanted to know what they were planning on doing with her. She deserved at least that much.

"In my tribe, the two to be wed will have seen each other before agreeing to the union," he said. "Our women do not cover themselves as you do."

What did that even mean? Oh sweet Gods above, he couldn't mean she would be getting naked in front of other people.

"And what's the purpose of this?" Laxus asked. He took Lucy's shaking hand and slowly pulled her back to his side, out of Acnologia's reach.

"To be sure they are a good match," Acnologia said. "She can bear no children if he finds her displeasing."

What a bunch of barbarians.

Acnologia met her steady gaze. "And I'm sure you'll be set at ease a little if you are able to find him pleasurable to look at." Her cheeks colored at the insinuation, causing Acnologia to laugh good-naturedly. "Laxus, if she was part of my tribe, this would not have to happen. They would have already seen one another like this. But you and I will be there to watch."

"So you're telling me that I have to watch my youngest sister…"

"They will not touch," Acnologia said. "They will only look, and then we will hear their decisions."

So she would at least get a say in whether this marriage happened. That was a plus. Except Lucy already knew that, no matter how she really felt about the way Cobra looked under his furs - which didn't leave much to the imagination as it was - she would have to agree to this. For her people. For this alliance that Laxus had so tirelessly forged to remain in place, she  _had_  to marry Cobra.

"I don't think-" Laxus began, then paused when Lucy placed a staying hand on his chest. His brows furrowed as he looked at her.

It took all of the courage she possessed to speak. "If this is how it's done," she said in the common tongue for Acnologia to understand, "Then I should start learning the ways of my new tribe. Shouldn't I?"

"You'll always be one of us," Laxus said in their tribe's softer language. He gently cupped her cheek. "You don't have to do this."

Lucy's hand rested over his for a moment, then she kissed his palm and pulled away from his comforting embrace. He wouldn't always be around to protect her from the harsh realities of the world. Their tribe was lucky to live along the river, and to have had so many years of peace in their lands. But the fight would be coming to them in just a few cycles of the moon.

Finally, Lucy turned to Acnologia and forced herself not to show any fear while reaching for his hand. "This way," she said to him with a careful, tremulous smile. "Laxus would be at ease if we are in his home for this."

She glanced at Cobra to see him watching her. He was closed off, though. She couldn't tell what he was thinking at all. Still, Lucy held fast to Acnologia's hand and led him away from those gathered around the bonfire, with three of her brothers and her future husband following behind.

* * *

He could see the way she shook while slowly undoing the closures on her dress. The braziers in Laxus' spacious hut gave off a gentle, dancing light that made her pale skin glow. Still, Cobra waited. He'd wanted to see what he would be getting in return for agreeing to this marriage. Her face was nice enough, but she was so pale. So small. He couldn't see this girl being able to make it through the wedding, let alone bear him a child.

" _Bratta nallum_ ," Laxus said to her.

" _Moldeat varra, Laxus_ ," she laughed. Cobra did like the way her voice sounded though. He couldn't understand a word she said, but he found the way her lips formed every foreign word alluring. And how soft her voice was, almost felt like each word caressed his ears and settled deep in his soul.

She paused and took a deep breath, then her dress fell to the floor.

What lay beneath was not what he'd expected. Though Cobra showed no outward reaction as his gaze devoured every inch of her creamy flesh, it took a great deal of self-control to keep his feet rooted to the spot. Her breasts were much larger than the women in his tribe, her nipples such a gentle, foreign shade of pink. Her waist pinched into something exotically small. Gods, he wanted to wrap his hands around it just to see if his fingers would touch. But her hips. Such wide hips on a woman so tiny otherwise. Hips that were like his mother's, perfect for bearing sons with broad shoulders like those that ran in his family. Perfectly proportionate for her size. What he wouldn't give to mark her perfect, unmarred skin in barely-there scratches from his teeth.

He knew he'd be gentle with her. As gentle as a man could be, he supposed.

"Cobra," Acnologia said. That was all the warning he needed. It wouldn't be right to simply stare at her. He'd yet to see the rest of her, to see if there were any deformities in her spine that might be passed to their children.

Still, Cobra knew what he had to do. He unfastened the leather belt holding his furs in place, then let them fall. It took everything in him not to laugh when he saw her eyes round and the deep flush of pink spread across her cheeks. She didn't look anywhere but at his face. That is, until his father spoke to her, most likely telling her that she was required to look at all of her future husband. By the time her penetrating gaze drifted down to his stomach, her entire face was red. She blinked and stared down at Cobra's feet, then up his legs.

" _Feodah, Lucy_ ," Laxus said.

He watched her lips draw down into a pout as she turned toward her brother. She said something that Cobra was sure had to be an insult. Her voice was suddenly sharper than before, less docile and demure. And while she was distracted, Cobra walked closer to her so he could see her more clearly. From a short distance, she didn't seem to have any imperfections. Not one. Her breasts were even and full, her stance was strong. Her back was straight.

Cobra circled around her, mostly ignoring her since he couldn't understand what she was saying to her brother. It sounded an awful lot like the way his mother spoke to her children when they were being a bunch of fucking morons, though. Her golden hair reached down past her hips, obscuring his view of her back. With one finger, careful not to touch her skin, he pushed her hair to the side. How was her hair softer than a spider's silk? She stopped talking to her brother, and squeaked. The sound had Cobra chuckling. Such a small sound from such a small woman. It suited her.

"Cobra, what are you doing?" Acnologia growled.

"Checking her," he said. "I won't touch." He waited for his father to translate it for her, his head tilting with curiosity when she relaxed marginally. He frowned when he saw a blue spiralling mark at the base of her neck. "What is this mark?"

It took a moment for Acnologia to answer him, having to translate into the common tongue and back again. Finally, he said, "Laxus says it's a mark given to girls in their tenth summer that shows they're of age to marry."

"Tenth?" he spat, drawing back slightly. Who would marry a girl of only ten? He knew for a fact that most of them didn't bleed until they were at least fifteen. What was the point of marrying a girl who couldn't bear children yet? Why would they take away those years of her childhood that she would never get back? Why would they force a girl to marry when she wasn't even old enough to understand what love or sex really was?

"It's a mark that will only leave when she's no longer a virgin," Acnologia said as Laxus continued speaking. "They place a great deal of importance on a woman's purity, Cobra."

"What's the fucking point in that?"

"It's their way."

"It's fucking stupid, is what it is." He'd lost his virginity when he was sixteen to a girl in the tribe. No one cared about it. She hadn't given him a son, and they'd found out later that she couldn't have them at all. But no one had looked down on her or him for having laid together. It didn't matter all that much in the end.

"And it's not our place to question their customs," Acnologia growled, causing Lucy to tense once more. "She is accepting our ways. You should extend her the same courtesy."

"Fuck that." Cobra glared at his father. "If we marry, she'll be part of  _our_ tribe. She should get used to shit like this."

"You'll need to ease her into this, son. And don't let your mother hear you talk like that, or she'll feed my balls to her snake."

"Kinana wouldn't want your fucking balls," he snorted. He looked back down at the spiral marking and tried to smear it with his thumb. It didn't come off. Lucy's head lowered slightly, and he tried again.

" _Vrothara nos il'men!_ " Laxus shouted at Acnologia.

"Stop touching her, Cobra," Acnologia snarled. "You're scaring her."

He lifted his hand and finally came to stand in front of her again. She didn't look at him though. It forced his hand. He grabbed her chin and made her look at him. And once she did, his eyes narrowed at the sight of how glassy her eyes had become. "Is she really going to cry?" he sneered.

"Considering you're doing the one thing I promised you wouldn't do, I don't blame her."

"Why wouldn't I touch her?" he asked. The few times this happened in the past with others, it was out in the open for all the tribe to see. Normally, the couple would find out if they were a good match by fucking in front of the tribe right there. And if they were, then they'd be married right after. But he wasn't supposed to touch her at all? Avoiding it at first was understandable. They were only just meeting for the first time, after all. How the hell was he supposed to find out if she was worthy of being his wife? It was bad enough that he'd been brought to the tribe leader's house to do this in secret. How much was his father willing to concede in changing their traditions for her?

"The Valaris are not like us. They are affectionate and gentle, especially their women. And any physical contact with a man who is not their husband is platonic. That she is allowing you to even see her this way before you are wed, means she is accepting  _our_  ways. For the sake of your union and this alliance."

Cobra considered her for a moment. His father had a point. She was making a lot of sacrifices in her own traditions for the sake of this alliance. If the Valaris were really such giant prudes, then she'd probably be named the village whore just for accepting these modified versions of his own tribe's traditions. She was letting him see her entirely naked, when her own people would have kept their true forms a secret until they were already wed. She wasn't strong or a fighter like the women of his tribe. He could see the tenderness of her muscles that showed she'd never fought a day in her life. And still, she stood strong before him with confidence from some place whose origin he couldn't name. She didn't shy away from him... Not really. Not if he ignored how uncomfortable and scared she looked right then.

"Tell her… she is allowed to touch me."

"She won't do it," Acnologia said.

"Tell her," he growled. He waited for his father to say what he wanted, then grabbed her hand and pressed it against his chest. She still looked scared though. And when he glanced over to where his father was seated beside Laxus, with her two other brothers glowering at him from their places at Laxus' side, it was obvious that her brothers didn't approve in the slightest.

Cobra let go of her chin and her hand, and she took a quick step back from him.

"What's your decision, my son?"

She didn't meet his gaze again. "She's afraid of me," he said. "She refuses to look at me."

Acnologia's voice was gentle as he switched to the common language and spoke to her. After a moment's hesitation, she met his unwavering gaze. Thankfully, the tears that she'd nearly shed were gone.

" _Rollal, Lucy?_ " Laxus asked gently.

" _Mi gewelt_."

"Your answer," Acnologia said to Cobra.

"What does she say?" he asked. He wanted to know her answer first. He had to know what she'd said.

"She says-"

"I…" Lucy said slowly in the Dragos tongue, as though she had to think of each syllable she spoke before saying it. "I will… have you… for my."

"Take," Cobra said slowly. He watched her for a moment. "I will take you as my own."

She bit her lips and looked at Acnologia and Laxus, to Freed and Rufus, then back into his eyes. "I will… take you as my own."

Cobra smirked down at her. She'd said the words that he needed to hear. The words that were required by his people to show that both parties wanted the marriage to happen. He turned around to gather his furs and get dressed. It took all of his willpower not to laugh when Lucy squeaked again, and he heard her hand slapping against her face while she covered her eyes.

* * *

Lucy was more than thankful that Laxus couldn't just leave their tribe behind to see her wedding. He sent Sting in his stead, which was just as well, because at least Sting made an effort to keep her spirits high. He would have to leave the day after her wedding to give word to Laxus that her mark was gone, and that she was no longer a virgin. That her marriage had been consummated. And in two months' time, one of her brothers would be back to check on her, and see if she'd already gotten pregnant.

If she wasn't, they would wait another two months. And another two months after that, and so on until she was finally with child.

It was during the trip from her home to the Dragos' homeland - just across the plains and through a thicket of trees that took two days to travel on horseback - that she asked Sting what would happen to the alliance if she never got pregnant. What if she couldn't?

She'd held so tightly to his waist while they rode, and he told her that the marriage would remain. And as long as she was married to Cobra, the alliance would stand strong. She didn't ask about Cobra being killed while they were married. They both knew that she would still be considered his wife even after his death. She'd never be able to marry again. That was one of the few similarities between the two tribes.

And now, Lucy stood in a large hut in the center of the Dragos encampment, completely naked while three girls who couldn't have been any older than sixteen, who she couldn't even speak to, covered her in gold dust. No inch of flesh was left untouched by their dust-covered hands as they patted and rubbed it onto her body.

Cobra's mother stood off to one side, arranging furs and a few of the dresses that had been brought along with her. Acnologia had been kind enough to allow her to wear a modified version of her tribe's traditional gown. Where she normally would have had beaded closures holding the fabric together at her shoulders, would be bones that had been bleached for this one occasion. Lucy didn't know what sort of bones they were. It was all a little macabre for her tastes, but she didn't want to make waves.

The girls stood back and stared at her in wonder once she was completely coated in dust. Everything but her hair, from what she could tell.

" _Dolor mahra_ ," one whispered reverently. The three smiled at her with identical smiles and turned to Cobra's mother. Lucy had a feeling they were triplets. She eyed Lucy critically, then nodded and waved the girls away. Once they were alone, she ushered Lucy forward.

It was while Cobra's mother turned to start preparing utensils to style Lucy's hair that she really took a look at the older woman. This was the type of woman she was expected to be as the years went on. At first, all Lucy could see were the differences between them.

Where Lucy's skin was pale, this woman's was a deep tan. Her face was made of harsh lines that didn't detract from her beauty, with high cheekbones and a thin, delicate chin; Lucy's face was still rounded with youth. Every woman in this tribe had a smaller chest than her from what she'd seen. It only made her more aware of her own body and how awkward she still felt in it at times. But what really drew Lucy's attention was the style of dress. It was so much more revealing than what she was used to. Most of the women in the tribe that she'd seen had their breasts bared without a care in the world, as though it was the most natural thing in the world. And maybe it was. Maybe her tribe was strange with their insistence that women's bodies be viewed only by their husbands and children, and only in the privacy of their home. The men only wore furs around their hips - she'd gotten quite the eyeful of several men's genitals while walking through the village.

Even Cobra's mother - Gods, Lucy wished she'd heard the woman's name! - was almost entirely nude. With the exception of fur wrapped around her hips and up between her breasts to drape over her left shoulder. There was no hiding the well-toned muscles of her thighs, the stretch marks on her stomach from carrying three sons who had, as Acnologia had told her, nearly been too large for her to give birth to.

"You have question?" his mother asked slowly in the common tongue. Lucy could only assume she had a moderate understanding of it, and that it wasn't usually used here. Even Acnologia's was a bit rusty, but he'd gotten better over the two days they'd been travelling.

Lucy waited until the woman turned to face her again. "Why, um… Why are the women…" She didn't know how to ask this question at all. "Their clothes, um…"

She laughed tenderly and placed her hands on Lucy's shoulders. "Woman body is gift from Gods," she said. "Why cover what men love most?"

Lucy blushed but still laughed along with her. She supposed that did make sense. The men in her tribe were definitely obsessed with the female body. "And you don't worry the men will… take advantage of that?" she asked, sobering after a moment. "Hurt you?"

Cobra's mother looked confused, but then Lucy tried to help her along by pretending to grab her chest. She laughed again and carefully patted Lucy's golden cheek. "No. Men would not live if they do this."

"Why not?"

"Because they know truth. Woman is strong. We give life to sons, protect homes." She smirked in a way that reminded Lucy very much of Cobra, just without the mouth full of pointed teeth. It was vicious and predatory, promising hours of pain and torment for any who crossed her. Lucy didn't think she'd ever be able to make a face quite like this. "They know we kill them if they not behave. Not just one woman, but all woman in tribe."

Lucy couldn't stop herself from giggling over it. She couldn't picture herself trying to kill a man. Not for groping her. But she'd heard stories before - and it had been confirmed by Acnologia - that the Dragos women weren't helpless. They fought just as fiercely as the men, but instead of going away to fight, they stayed back to protect their lands. It was the reason no one ever tried to conquer the Dragos. They couldn't get past the women.

And if it wasn't just one woman going after a man, but all the women in the tribe turning on a single man who'd dared to hurt them… she kind of liked that.

Cobra's mother picked up Lucy's dress and held it out to her, and Lucy paused in taking it. Maybe she could make a few more concessions and try to be one of the tribe. These would be her people. One day, after Acnologia had passed on to the next life, she would be their leader's wife. They had to see that she could learn to be more like them, to accept them as they were. Hopefully, they'd accept her as well.

"Would you help me?" Lucy asked. She ran her fingers over the dress, then looked into the older woman's soft fuschia eyes. "Can we make my dress more… Dragos?"

She smiled a bright, proud smile. "You will be beautiful Dragos bride. I help you."

Lucy let out a slow breath while getting the dress on the way it should have been worn. And over the next hour, she worked with Cobra's mother to cut away chunks of fabric and tie sections together until it was something worthy of being in a Dragos wedding. She wasn't comfortable letting everyone see her breasts, but luckily his mother seemed to understand.

"What does  _dolor mahra_ mean?" Lucy asked, watching as Cobra's mothers dabbed a bit more gold dust on her body now that she was completely dressed.

She smiled while putting down the clay pot and picking up another with a bronze paste in it. She used her finger to swipe a bit on Lucy's lips, then her closed eyelids and her eyebrows. " _Dolor mahra_ ," she sighed. "Is like... How we say? Is like... beautiful face of the Gods." She laughed quietly and shook her head, and Lucy saw the barest hints of wrinkles in the corners of her eyes that made her seem more human, more like her own mother. "Acnologia can say better."

Lucy blushed and looked down at herself once the older woman stepped back. This was much more revealing than anything she would've worn with her own tribe, but if Cobra's mother approved, then she would wear this with pride. She knew that Sting would be there, watching the whole wedding. Hopefully he wouldn't be too shocked by her appearance. "Thank you."

"I teach you Draga. We talk more then... daughter."

Daughter. She wasn't going to let herself cry over that. Even if it had been more than ten summers since she'd heard a mother's love filling that single word.

* * *

"Look! She's an angel."

"The Gods blessed us with their own daughter."

Cobra heard the murmurs of his tribesmen before he saw Lucy appear. Down a short aisle of men and women gathered on either side, there she stood in a dress that he was sure had come from her home. Except no Valaris women wore their clothing like that. The pure white cloth was gathered around her breasts and pulled together just beneath them, held tightly in place by a bone clip made from a bird's skull. The rest of the material fell loose down her taut stomach and between her legs as she walked. Around her arms were shear strips of the same cloth, tied just under her shoulders and again at her wrists. He could see the tantalizing flesh of her shapely hips with every step she took. His gaze raked down her legs, pausing at her bare feet and the sight of an anklet made of bones that he knew had been given to his mother for her own wedding.

"Cobra, tell me she has a fuckin' sister," Gajeel groaned from just beside him.

He refused to look at his younger brother. It didn't matter that he was the only one who would be seeing her without that godforsaken dress on in only a short while. He wanted to soak in every step she took with the sun beating down on her pale skin. He wanted to watch the way the gold dust on her sparkled in the light, and how it made her hair seem so much lighter where it was piled high on her head in intricate swirls of liquid sunlight.

"He's not listening," Natsu chuckled. "I think he's in love."

"Fuck both of you," Cobra muttered.

"All three of you shut the fuck up," Acnologia growled. "If your mother hears you…"

He saw the moment she found his space at the end of the aisle, standing beside his father and two brothers. She completely ignored her own brother's gaping stare just a few steps away from them. He could nearly feel her eyes tracing each of his muscles covered in the same gold dust that was on her, lingering on the black furs wrapped around his waist and the bright red markings painted on his chest and arms. Her eyes flashed with intrigue at the sight of a bone necklace sitting just beneath his collar bones, identical in every way to the anklet she'd been given. It seemed she liked their jewelry. That was surprising.

She came to a stop in front of him, and he took another moment to look at her from head to toe. He kept his expression as blank and unreadable as ever. In just a short while, he'd be able to touch that small waist of hers. He would get to see her long sunkissed hair fanned out over their bedding. He would hear her screaming in ecstasy, and force louder cries from her until every Dragos man and woman knew she'd been claimed.

And Gods help him, he would be with her for every summer until eternity. She was going to be his, and his alone.

They weren't allowed to touch one another until the ceremony was complete, so he turned toward his father and she followed suit. Cobra had seen this ceremony dozens of times, so he didn't need to listen to what his father said as it went on.

Blah blah, everlasting, blah, strength and a bunch of other bullshit.

He wasn't even allowed to look at her until his father shut the hell up. By the time that happened, Cobra was actually ready to say this ceremony could go to hell. He wanted to look at this delicate, exotic flower of a woman who would be his. He wanted to memorize the waning sunlight on her face, the bronze color on her lush lips. The fabric dripping down the center of her stomach and baring her biteable waist and delicious hips.

Cobra didn't realize the mistake they'd all made until he turned toward her when it was time. She wasn't looking at him, but watching as Natsu and Gajeel carried a long rectangular sheet of iron over and placed it on the ground between them and Acnologia. As the head of the tribe, this was one of his duties, overseeing the marriage rites. But based on the fear in her wide, honey eyes, no one had told her what she would have to do.

He stepped away and took his place at one end of the metal sheet. She did the same after watching him for a cue on what to do. And since Lucy didn't know what was expected of her, he took the lead. He ignored his brothers' outstretched hands, offering to help him kneel on the sheet, and crouched down. With one leg, then the other, Cobra carefully maneuvered himself onto the rows upon rows of iron pyramid-shaped spikes jutting up from the sheet, then sat back on his heels.

He never looked away from her, so he saw the horror widening her eyes when she saw his lack of a reaction.

Cobra wanted to tell her it wasn't all that important, but he couldn't even speak to her. And it was important. For his people, this was essential. Their marriage wouldn't be recognized by the Gods if this didn't happen. And if he showed even the briefest reaction to the pain, he would be disgraced. He would lose his claim to take his father's place as the tribe's leader. They couldn't see any weakness from him. But she didn't know that she was supposed to kneel with him. Lucy didn't know that they weren't supposed to touch one another until their vows were complete. They weren't supposed to move at all aside from speaking their vows.

All Cobra could do was nod to her, and watch as his brothers came to her side. Natsu and Gajeel held her arms and carefully lowered her onto the spikes. They didn't let go until she was settled, and then arranged her hands on her lap properly. Cobra watched her intently as she tried to hide the pain from her expression. But she was too open for something like that. Too expressive. He actually liked that about her.

He ignored his father's words about what this all meant. Lucy couldn't even understand it anyway. Instead, Cobra watched her. The pinch between her bronze-dusted brows and how she bit her lips only slightly while trying to adjust to the pain. Lucy inhaled sharply when Natsu set a heavy chain on Cobra's shoulders. Her eyes followed his path to Gajeel who held nine more chains of equal weight.

When the second weight was settled on his shoulders and he felt the spikes piercing his legs, Cobra came to the realization that Lucy knew nothing about what was expected of her. She was supposed to take the second weight from him and wait for the rest to be settled on his shoulders. It was supposed to signify her sharing in his pain through their lives. But she didn't fucking know. Cobra couldn't tell her what she was supposed to do, but it seemed he didn't have to. She surprised him by reaching forward and gently touching his hands. For the first time, she touched him of her own free will. Slowly, Lucy's fingers glided up the length of his arms until they rested over the chains.

"Warrior need strong woman," she said in Draga. "We share."

He was stone still while she grabbed the chain, watching intently as she struggled to lift it from him. Neither of his brothers offered to help. Cobra wasn't allowed to do a thing. All he could bring himself to do was watch her refuse to give up. She was a stubborn one. He could see the pain in her eyes, but she didn't stop until the chain was on her own shoulders.

Her eyes closed and she breathed through the pain. For someone who hadn't a clue what she was getting herself into with this, Lucy took it surprisingly well. Luckily for her, that was all she had to do. She was only required to take one chain and bear that weight until she was told to remove it. Now, the rest was a test of his mettle. If he was able to handle nine of the ten chains without showing the agony piercing his legs as the ceremony continued, then he would be ensured his place as the next leader of the tribe. And he would be given permission from the gods to marry Lucy.

He could do this.

Cobra prepared himself as best as he could just before the second chain rested on his shoulders. He kept his gaze trained solely on her face when Natsu came closer. It wasn't until he felt Lucy gently squeeze his hands that Cobra realized she'd taken them into her own again once she'd gotten her chain settled. He didn't care any longer that they weren't supposed to be touching. This small comfort from her was all he needed to firm his resolve. He could do this. If she wasn't going to cry and beg for this to stop, then he wouldn't either.

Besides, he knew that her people were touch-obsessed. They were freakishly affectionate. He'd seen it for himself in the way they held one another's hands, kissed in greeting. How they hugged and held each other just because they could. The only time people held one another in his tribe was in a family. Husbands held their wives after lovemaking. Mothers held their children. That was it. And even then, it was a private affair. No one believed Acnologia was capable of tenderness, because they didn't see the way he was with his wife. Cobra and his brothers had seen on a great many occasions, how their father held their mother's naked, flushed body close to his. How he kissed her gently and the way he gazed into her eyes as though he could find the secrets of the world in them.

Acnologia continued speaking, but he stopped when Lucy quietly caught Natsu's attention before he could place the third chain on Cobra. "Share  _mossa_ ," she said. Her brows furrowed as she looked at Acnologia. " _Mossa?_ "

"All," Acnologia said in Draga. Natsu looked to Acnologia for guidance. This was never done. Women didn't take more than one chain. They couldn't handle it. It was Cobra's job as her husband to bear the heaviest of burdens, to take on the weight of the world if he needed to. And all he needed was for his wife to be there and support him. But Lucy wanted to do this differently. She wanted to share it evenly.

Did that mean this was how she planned on living the rest of their lives? Standing by his side and facing things head-on with him as an equal?

"Do it, Natsu," Acnologia said. To the gathered crowd, he said, "Our new daughter has asked to bear the chains of destiny with equality." He paused when there was a round of murmurs from the tribe. A slow, proud grin stretched across his lips. "It seems she takes after my wife."

Cobra's lips lifted into an intrigued smirk as the second chain was set on Lucy's shoulders. His father had told them the story many times over the years, of how their mother had surprised everyone by demanding she get the same amount of chains as her husband. She'd said much the same thing as Lucy had, too.

" _A warrior needs a strong wife. If I cannot bear these chains, I am not worthy to bear his sons. We will share in this, as in all things in life."_

He wanted so badly to look at his mother, to see if she had coached Lucy in any way, but he wasn't going to look away from the woman who would soon be his wife. Every chain he received, she had one added as well. She held tightly to his hands, and he allowed himself a rare moment of open vulnerability by stroking his thumbs over her slender wrists.

She didn't look away from him when she repeated her vows in the common tongue. Acnologia had told Cobra that, because she'd had little time to prepare, he would help her along as best he could. Cobra, however, didn't need help. He knew the words he was supposed to say. What surprised him, was that he felt the truth in each word he spoke.

"I swear to you in front of my tribe and beneath the Gods, for all to see, our lives will be forever intertwined."

He'd always assumed that his marriage would be one of convenience, just something that was used as it was right then. To form an alliance with another tribe. To strengthen their own tribe.

"You will have my love in the summer when the sun scorches the earth."

Cobra had always thought he wouldn't find love. There was no room for something like that in his life. He was a warrior. Why would he ever submit to something so ludicrous? Why would he force someone to bear the pain of living a life without him if he was ever killed in battle?

"You will have my warmth in the winter when the snows come and steal the sun's brilliance."

But as he looked at this foreign woman with her golden hair and pale, gold-dusted skin that glittered in the setting sun, he found himself entranced.

"Our sons will be strong as the summer heat is heavy."

She was so exotic to him, something that he knew he would cherish if for no other reason than because she was like nothing else in his tribe. But it was more than that and he knew it.

"Our daughters will be fierce as the winds of winter."

It was something that he was sure only his mother really knew about. His father and brothers were solely focused on their prowess in battle, and Cobra had learned early on that his place as the first-born son meant he had to follow in his father's footsteps. So he'd crafted a mask that he never took off, one of the proud warrior everyone knew him to be. He maintained that image no matter the cost, no matter how heartless he appeared to everyone around him.

"I take you to be mine on this day, and for every day until the sun sets its final path across the sky."

He had a heart beneath it all, though. And Cobra knew he would be able to show that part of himself to Lucy. She was kind and gentle, he could tell just by looking at her. That secret place within his soul would be safe with a woman like her.

"I welcome you to my tribe," he finally said, completing the vows. Natsu moved forward and took the chains from Lucy's shoulders one at a time, then handed them to Gajeel who set all of them on Cobra's shoulders.

The weight was bearable, but the sudden flash of pain through his legs as his body bore down more heavily on the spikes had him nearly begging for mercy. Cobra held himself completely still with his back straight and his head held high. He would prove once and for all that this was his birthright and he had no intention of passing it by. Tears welled in Lucy's widened eyes, but he said nothing. He did nothing. Thankfully, Natsu and Gajeel were by her side once more, pulling her hands from Cobra's slowly tightening grasp and helping her stand on solid ground once more. She never looked away from him, and Cobra's body tensed under her scrutinizing stare. She had to see him as proud, strong, unwavering regardless of the pain. It was nearly done.

He could do this. He could show no weakness.

His gaze lowered to her legs, to the bleeding punctures in her once pristine flesh from her knees down to her feet. She would eventually have scars from this, but he would bear the same ones. And from this day onward, everyone would know that she was taken. Everyone would look at those scars and know she was strong enough to be his wife.

Natsu and Gajeel carefully led Lucy around the metal sheet to stand behind Cobra. He could hear the way her breathing changed as they stepped away from her, forcing her to bear her own weight fully. But she had to do this on her own. His father's voice was soft as he spoke to her, most likely telling Lucy she was supposed to remove the chains holding Cobra down. It was her job now to free him of his burden, to accept him into her arms as her husband.

He prepared himself for the slow process of each chain being taken from his shoulders. She'd had a hard time just lifting one and putting it on herself. It was normal for the women to take the chains off one by one.

Instead, he felt her fingers pushing under the bottom chain and brushing against his shoulders. She took her time getting them all in her grasp, and he heard how she held her breath when she lifted all ten heavy iron chains off of him at once. He couldn't stop himself from turning to look at her over his shoulder. Only his father and brothers were able to see the surprise widening his eyes at the sight of her slender arms trembling under the weight she carried.

Not even his mother had done something like this when she'd married his father. Not that Cobra knew of, at least. When he looked toward Acnologia, Cobra realized he was just as surprised.

The harsh clanging of metal falling to the ground filled the still air. Lucy took a step back and Cobra finally stood. He turned to face her while his father said the last of the marriage rites. Once it was finished, and he could hear the trilling hollers of his tribesmen, their eyes locked. She smiled at him for only a moment. It was a tiny, hopeful thing, that smile. And he wanted to give her one in return, but he couldn't. Not here. Not where others could see.

Instead, Cobra kept his face carefully blank. The only change in his expression was when Lucy swayed just a little before falling forward into his chest. He caught her easily, held her body against him for the first time, and turned to glare at his father.

"Your mother did the same thing," Acnologia chuckled. "Those chains are monstrous on a woman's body."

"Is she gonna be alright?" Natsu asked.

Cobra sneered at the both of them, then bent down and wrapped an arm behind her bloody legs to lift her up. He ignored the celebration that surrounded them and stalked past everyone - he barely caught the gentle, proud smile his mother gave him - down the aisle they'd made and on a direct path to his own hut.

Well, it was their hut now.

They would need to clean themselves up before consummating the marriage. He knew the bowl full of medicinal herbs was already waiting in their home. He would bandage her up, allow her to do the same for him, and then he could make her his. Deep down, his stomach fluttered at the thought of sharing this and everything else with Lucy. Sadly, the only thing she saw was how tight his jaw was, the sneer that pulled at his upper lip and bared his sharpened teeth, and the vicious glare he sent everything directly in front of him.

* * *

_**.The End.  
… for now...** _

 

**Author's Note:**

> Important Note 1:  
> I'm thinking this one may need to be revisited in the future with a full-length story. I had one more scene that I wanted to put into this, but I like how it ended here. At the same time, when I originally plotted this particular story out, I also wrote up several action-heavy scenes and some smut… But those wouldn't have nearly the same impact if I didn't add more between the marriage and those points. Character development and all that. One day, I'll revisit this. It'll appear as its own separate story, and may have more shit happen before the wedding. And then loads after the wedding.
> 
> Important note 2:  
> So I saved revealing the bit about what inspired this until the end, because I didn't want to give anything away. As I said in the beginning, two things inspired this story.
> 
> The first is  _Game of Thrones_. If you've seen the show (I haven't read the books yet), then I'm sure you'll pick up pretty quickly what I was inspired by (cough, Jason Momoa, cough). If you haven't, then I'll leave it a mystery, so I don't spoil anything in the show… for those, like myself until recently, who haven't had the time or willpower to sit down and just watch it.
> 
> The second thing that inspired some of this story is an Inuyasha fic somewhere on FFnet. I can't remember the name of it for the life of me, and if you do know which one it is, then let me know so I can put the title in here for those who are interested in reading it. It's a very well-written Sesshomaru/Kagome fic with them both being in tribes, and Kagome is married off to Sesshomaru. And they don't speak the same language at all, so a good portion of the story is written without them talking to each other. I tried searching for it, but I couldn't remember who even wrote it!


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